Around the tracks 16 April 2010

WILL Power's IndyCar winning streak ended in Alabama when he was only fourth in the third round of the American open-wheel series. He still qualified on pole position and leads the IndyCar points table despite being beaten to the win by his Penske team mate Helio Castroneves, with fellow Aussie Ryan Briscoe coming home sixth at Barber Motorsport Park.

STEVEN Johnson qualfies as a V8 Supercar veteran this weekend when he makes his 150th championship start in Hamilton, New Zealand. Junior Johnson has spent his whole career with his father Dick's Ford team, including several early starts in satellite operations, and is only the 13th driver to clock up 150 round starts.

CHAD Reed returned to Supercross action in the USA last weekend, taking fourth place for Kawasaki in his comeback race in Houston. It was his first race since January and he just missed the podium despite battling a poor start and a troublesome shifter.

MARCOS Ambrose got his best finish of the 2010 season when he came home 11th in Phoenix last weekend in the seventh round of the Nascar championship series. He qualified brilliantly in fourth but struggled through the race, although the result still boosts him five spots to 24th in the Sprint Cup standings.

AMERICAN drag racing legend Larry Dixon has just hit a new career milestone, scoring his 50th top fuel race win. He did the job by beating Antron Brown in the final of the Spring Nationals at Houston in Texas last weekend.

The search for new talent in the V8 Supercar world has given four newcomers a crack in a Kelly Racing Commodore at Winton.  Amber Anderson, best known as the V8 Supercar pace car driver in 2009, joined New Zealander Jonny Reid, kart start David Sera and veteran Mini racer Scott Bargwanna in a driver evaulation day which could provide a Kelly co-driver for the endurance races later in the year.

JACK Perkins proved he can still win with victory in an Aussie Racing Cars event in Darwin last weekend. The V8 Supercar refugee also cracked the lap record in his Toyota Aurion, although he was fourth for the round

DANIEL Erickson began his racing season in the USA the right way with second place in the Formula Ford 2000 opener at Virginia Raceway last weekend. The 22-year-old qualified quickest but was jumped at the rolling start and followed Brazilian Victor Carbone to the flag.